Paper Crane
by drusy
Summary: With the fall of BEGA the bladers go back to school and Kai tries to reach out to friends he left behind; no one is safe, familiar faces return and the bladers have to team up again in order to keep what they hold dear to them KaiOC fic
1. Beginnings

Paper Crane

**Disclaimer:** I own my computer and my tired little brain. And my lovely little OCs which you will see a lot of in this chapter

*apologies if this is somewhat incoherent. I seem to have nothing better to do at ungodly hours of the early early morning

1

The tips of his hair were getting damp by the time he hung up the payphone. The number he had tried to reach got him nowhere, the little voice recording informing him that the number no longer existed and had been cut off several years ago. And it was the only clue he had left.

He sighed. He wasn't angry, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed and somewhere, deep down, extremely guilty. Kai had left his friends and what little family he had back in his home country, and ever since the defeat of Biovolt he had been trying to get in contact with at least one of them. He had assumed that they would've seen him on TV. during the World Championships and they would've tried to get in touch immediately. When no one did call, he figured maybe he ought to try.

He played with the piece of paper in his hand, all worn and now an odd beige color instead of the clean white it used to be. Faint numbers could be seen hastily scribbled all over its surface, numbers that belonged to names but led to nowhere.

_Flashback_

_A boy around the age of 12 grinned cheekily as he teased his friend about her blading skills. "You have no power in your rip," he said, in mock criticism. "Everything is too stiff. You're too uptight! You must relax and let you and your bit beast become one." The younger girl glared at him._

"_Shut up Hiwatari," she snapped, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but what he had said about her blading was true and she was getting frustrated with her lack of improvement. _

_Another girl who looked to be a couple years older rolled her eyes, her black hair tied up neatly in a ponytail. "Sissy, don't listen to him. What does he know? He's just a boy." Her younger sister smirked, then stuck her tongue out at said boy._

"_Yeah, you heard my sister! You're just a boy! What makes you think you can talk to me like that?" _

_A flaming red haired boy laughed, throwing an arm around the little girl's older sister. "You know he's so much better than you both," he teased, the black haired girl not amused at all._

"_Off, Ivanov," she groaned, pretending to stagger from the extra weight. "Geez, when did you get so heavy, huh?"_

"_Oh you know, I'm a growing kid, so I gotta eat…"_

_The two started bickering. Kai sighed, running a hand through his two-toned hair. "Sorry for being mean Evee," he muttered, embarrassed that he had to apologize. Eve pretended not to hear him. "I said I'm sorry," he said a little louder, but she looked away from him. "Come on Evee," he said, "you know I didn't mean it. I was just playing."_

_Eve glared at him hard, arms still tightly crossed against her chest. Then she broke out into a wide smile and flung her arms around the young boy's neck. _

"_I know!" she said, laughing. Kai was a little taken back by her actions. "I just it when you get all apologetic and stuff." She giggled some more and released him, running away from him in the opposite direction._

"_Hey!"_

_Flashback ends_

Kai rubbed his temples. Was it really only four years ago that he was living like that? He couldn't remember. The years when he was living at the Abbey seemed to blend together, all jumbled and mixed up so bad he couldn't tell them apart.

He remembered getting into a lot of trouble when the four of them tried to have fun. He looked down at the paper he was clutching in his hand. Somehow, they made it out okay. At least he did.

_Flashback_

_He sat patiently at an open café, one leg crossed over the other. While his face was the epitome of calm and serene, his insides were doing backflips and all sorts of summersaults. Had anyone gotten his message?_

_His question was answered when his red-haired friend appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He nodded, acknowledging his presence. _

"_You got it then, I'm assuming." _

"_If I hadn't, I wouldn't be here."_

_The red haired boy pulled something out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the table. "You'll probably only need this," he said, his eyes blank, devoid of all emotion except for maybe disgust. _

_Kai took the tiny object, folding it carefully and placing it in his own pocket. "Thanks," he muttered quietly. He knew that what he was doing was probably a big mistake on his part, but what else could he do? He stood up slowly, feeling Tala's eyes watching him the entire time._

"_She's worried, you know," Tala said. Kai blinked. "She wonders, you know, how you're doing." _

_Kai nodded. She was always like that. It was time for him to go. "I'll see you at the tournament."_

_Flashback end_.

He decided to make his way back to the place he was staying, going slowly. It was nearly morning, and he knew his teammates would have a panic attack if he didn't show up for the first day of school.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

She drummed her fingers impatiently on the smooth oak stair rail that ascended in a spiral to the second floor of their large estate. The drumming only increased in volume when her younger sister had yet to appear at the top of the staircase.

"Evee!" she yelled, her patience being tested beyond its limits. "Hurry your ass up will you??? This is not the prom or homecoming, this is a goddamn high school orientation and if I'm late you'll wish you were never related to me!"

"I'm coming dammit!" The sound of a drawer slamming could be heard, and two pairs of feet ran across the floor.

Brenden walked into the room, eyeing the scene. "Late?" he asked his older cousin, who now had her arms folded and locked across her chest. She nodded.

"I reminded both of them that the orientation began at exactly 7:50, and that they should both go to sleep early because you know how they hate waking up early. But no, they decided to stay up all night and watch the rest of Goong (*addictive Korean TV drama; translated as "Palace") so they didn't go to bed until about five this morning and now they're worried because they had about 2 hours of sleep and have nothing _acceptable_ to wear."

"You mean _Nik_ had nothing acceptable to wear," Brenden corrected her, her book bag slung casually over his shoulder. "I passed by her room on the way down and it looked like a tornado had swept through or something. And unfortunately, poor Evee got stuck right in the middle of it."

Chloe rolled her eyes. Typical of Nikki to do something like that. A loud bang was heard, and they both looked up, the rest of their compadres finally ready. "Only took you about ten thousand years to find an outfit that you liked," Chloe snapped, pushing her side bangs out of her face.

"Well, I couldn't let my younger cousin go looking like she buys all her clothes at the Gap or something-"

"That's because she does buy her clothes from the Gap-"

"Ah," Nikki smiled, raising an eyebrow. "She used to wear clothes from the Gap. _Now_ she wears the latest designer fashion, courtesy of moi." Besides her, Evee fidgeted in her True Religion black skinny jeans and Robert Rodriguez cowl neck top, complete with Miu Miu metallic ballerina slips and a Gucci Voyager Hobo purse. Nikki had taken her brown highlighted hair and relaxed it, her bangs sweeping across her face looking very soft.

"She looks nice, now let's go," Chloe said, headed for the garage. "It's just a freaking orientation Nikki. She's not going to a fancy party!"

Nikki shrugged, dressed up and looking like a model as always. "Hey," she said, bouncing down the stairs. "She asked me for some help, so it's not like I ambushed her this morning."

Brenden cast his sister a suspicious glance. "Yeah, suuure," he said, knowing better than to believe his sister. He avoided a smack to the head. "And by the way, you do look very nice yourself," he grinned.

"Oh stop trying to suck up," Eve laughed. She was thankful Nikki didn't give her heels to walk in. That would've been absolutely disastrous. And while she did ask her cousin for some help in choosing an outfit, she had no clue it would escalate into an entire production.

Chloe was already waiting in their black Cadillac Escalade when they reached the garage, and they piled in, so as not to infuriate her any further. She slammed the gas, her road rage kicking in before they even reached the freeway.

Eve pulled out a folder from the ridiculously large handbag Nikki had given to her 'as a gift', she had said. There was a small emblem on the folder, which read '_Dux femine facti_', and the school's name, 'Iris Prep'. Eve was transferring in to the junior class, after attending a public school nearby. Her sister and her cousins had attended Iris since junior high, but she had taken time off to focus on the arts instead of Beyblading and academics like her siblings. The only reason she had moved schools was because it was easier for Chloe if they all went to the same school.

"Is it tough?" she asked her siblings hesitantly. Academics had never been her strong point, and she knew Iris had a reputation for being the most academically challenging highschool in this area, as well as home to the number one Beyblade team in the highschool and university league.

Nikki scoffed. "Psh, no way," she said. "Dude, if I can pass these classes with an A average, I think you'll do just fine." Eve wasn't so sure. Nikki might be a fashion design major, but everyone knew she excelled in mathematics and science.

"It's really not that bad," Chloe spoke up from the front, Brenden texting away on his Blackberry faster than you could keep up. "The teachers are understanding if you have a hard time, and there's also the peer tutoring program to help you if you need it."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Nikki waved her older cousin off. "Not like you need those guys anytime soon. You got us, so don't worry. Brenden's in the same grade, so he'll help you out, and Chloe and I are just across the campus at the graduate program. And I know you'll just _love_ the arts program, and the sports teams are just –" She stopped momentarily, her expression becoming serious..

"You _did_ register for the Beyblading team, didn't you?"

Eve swallowed. She had given it some thought, but never seriously considered joining. However, based on the look Nikki had on her face, she felt it best to lie and then figure out how to solve the problem later. "Yes?"

Nikki relaxed. "Great! All set then. I think you'll really like the girls' team at Iris. They're definitely interesting though. One of them has hot pink hair and the other has the biggest, roundest, dorkiest glasses I have _ever_ seen."

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…reviews?

Please?

**-drusy**


	2. Security

Paper Crane

**Disclaimer:** still don't own Beyblade. *sigh…

2

_Flashback_

_"School??"_

_The ex-Bladebreakers looked shocked at the idea of returning to a normal high-school after having traveled the world for over three years doing nothing but what they loved and were best at. Mr. Dickinson knew he should expect a reaction like this, but felt his decision would be best for them all._

_"Yes Tyson," he said, clearing his throat, staring directly at the master of Dragoon. "I feel that it would be beneficial to you boys if you could finish up your high-school education. After all, none of you have received any schooling since you left your old schools several years ago."_

_Max looked horrified at the idea. "But, what about our blading?" he asked. "Shouldn't we be training for the next world championship?? There are a lot of people out there who are gonna be aiming to beat us."_

_Mr. Dickinson sighed. "I understand your reluctance to return to school. But we at the BBA have decided not to host a World Championship this year after what happened at the last one. It has been decided that this year shall be skipped, since almost all of the teams have suffered numerous injuries, both mental and physical ones." To make his point, he looked at Kai's injured face and the bandages around Ray's arms._

_Self-consciously, Kai tugged at the brown hood covering most of his bandages. He did not like having the older man's eyes searching his face, and he especially didn't like the idea of having more attention drawn to him. _

_Ray sighed. The neko-jin knew they didn't have a say in the matter. "It'll be fine guys," he said. "It'll just be for a couple of years. So what's this school like then?"_

_"It's a private academy not too far from Tyson's house," Mr. Dickinson's assistant answered, getting up out of her seat and handing each blader a blue folder with the words 'Dux femine facti' printed underneath a school emblem in gold cursive writing. "Iris Academy; known for their rigorous academic curriculum and outstanding athletic program. Each student will choose which electives they wish to take, although everyone is required to take at least one math, one science, one language arts, and one history."_

_They all flipped through the portfolio slowly, looking over the countless forms, guidelines, and handbooks. Max picked up a particular yellow sheet of paper. "What's this for?"_

_The assistant took it from him and looked it over. "Ah yes," she said. "You will need to fill this out in order to use the training facilities. Mr. Dickinson has already put in a word that you be allowed to train separately from the other bladers, but if you wish to train with the school team, I'm sure they will be more than glad to let you."_

_At these words, Tyson perked up. "School Beyblading team? You never told us about that Mr. D!" The BBA owner laughed._

_"No I didn't Tyson," he said, chuckling at the curious looks on the teams' faces. "But yes, there is also a Beyblading team, which I'm sure you will probably try out for. If you do make the team, you will be competing in inter-scholastic tournaments rather than international ones, and on occasion have to miss school to go compete."_

_Tyson and Max looked at each other and grinned. "No problem!" they both shouted. Ray shook his head. The two of them would do anything just to get out of school. _

_"You'll also be staying at one of the dorms on campus," Mr. Dickinson went on. "And I believe you'll be very glad to know that some of your friends will also be joining you at Iris Academy."_

_"Really? Who?"_

_"Oh you know… some old temmates…"_

Five weeks later…

"… and can anyone tell me at least three causes of World War II? Perhaps Mr. Granger?"

Tyson shook out of his daydream, surprised to see he was still in history class. He heard a few other guys in his class snickering, and he could feel the blush rising to his cheeks. "Uh, well…" Their teacher, Mr. Thorton, was a lot more intimidating when he got up close in your face, Tyson decided.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyson could see Max waving his arms and trying to sign him the answer. Too bad he didn't understand sign language. On his left, Ray slowly was edging his notebook closer to Tyson. Kai sat behind Ray and he didn't do anything.

Tyson gulped. "Um, I'm not sure sir. I kinda fell asleep." Their teacher glared at Tyson some more, before turning his back on him and calling on Brenden who was sitting next to Michael from the AllStarz.

Sighing, the World Champion leaned back in his seat. He was lucky it was only the first week of school otherwise he was sure he would've gotten detention for his poor performance in class. And that was the last thing he needed. He was already struggling in all of his classes.

Lee chuckled. "Nice going Tyson. Thorton's totally gonna get you next week if you're not careful."

Tyson groaned, forcing his eyes to stay open the rest of the class.

Thankfully for them, the bell signaling the end of class and beginning of lunch came quickly, and everyone ran out of the room.

"Mariah over here!" Ray shouted, making room for his girlfriend. The pink-haired neko-jin bounced over to the table, followed closely by Emily and Mathilda, from Barthez Battalion. "How were your classes?"

"Oh you know," Emily said, taking a seat in between Kenny and Michael. "Math and History. Totally easy."

"What? Totally _not_ easy," Max said, looking up from his conversation. Tyson agreed, but couldn't verbalize this due to the food he had shoved in his mouth.

Mariah pecked her boyfriend on the cheek before handing him a flyer she procured from her bag. "Hey you guys seen this yet?" she asked.

"Well, if you passed it around maybe some of us could see what it is," Rick snorted, earning him a punch from Ray.

"It's a flyer for all the sports teams we can sign up for," Miguel read aloud, having snatched the flyer from Ray. "Try-outs start tonight and go for about a week. We'll have to sign up with the athletics department by the end of lunch."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting. But you know," he said. "Not all of us can make the Beyblading team."

The chattering stopped immediately. Silence. Ray's words sunk in, and they realized how true that statement was. Michael fidgeted with his baseball hat; Lee tugged at his arm wraps; Emily and Kenny readjusted their glasses; Kai didn't move from where he was, his back still against the white cafeteria wall.

Tyson rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. "Well obviously, only the best are gonna make it, and too bad for some of you guys, but I know I'll have a secure spot on that team."

Emily glared at Tyson. "I wouldn't be so sure about that Tyson," she snapped.

"Yeah," Lee said suddenly. "You know we've all gotten a lot better since we last bladed. I think we all have a fair shot at a spot."

Kai snickered. "Guess we'll have to wait until the tryouts to see who makes the teams then." His voice startled a few of them, since they forgot he was even there.

Tyson nodded. "Bring it on guys!"

Mariah and Emily grinned at each other. "Oh, it's been brought Tyson."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * ** *

Mr. Dickinson stared outside of the headmaster's office, patiently waiting for the headmaster himself to show up. From where he sat, he could see the campus grounds and the main building where most of the learning took place. Out of the corner of his eye he could see armed guards patrolling the premises.

"Mr. Dickinson, I presume?"

He stood up to shake hands with the Headmaster, a tall, lean man with white hair and thin glasses. The headmaster gestured for him to sit down again, and he did. "What brings you to my office today?"

The head of the BBA cleared his throat, and pulled out a few folders from his briefcase. "Ah yes, well, I thank you for taking time out of your day to see me, and on such short notice." He handed the headmaster the manila folders. "I just wanted to drop these off, as part of our agreement."

"I appreciate you dropping these off. Perhaps this will help us protect our students better." The headmaster set the folders aside. "Is there anything else you wished to see me about?"

Mr. Dickinson fidgeted slightly in his chair. He was worried about the safety of his bladers, but felt that they were safe at Iris. He had chosen Iris because they had promised him they would protect their students absolutely, and impressed him with the number of security guards around campus and the numerous surveillance cameras posted around school.

The headmaster sighed, then leaned forward a little in his chair. "There is actually something I've been meaning to ask you Mr. Dickinson," he began.

"Yes?" Mr. Dickinson asked. "Ask away, please, you're already doing me a huge favor."

The headmaster nodded. "When you came to us, you asked us to make sure we keep an extra watchful eye over your bladers, which we have been doing since the semester started last week. However, you did not tell us exactly what we are protecting them from, or why they all have been brought here. Do you mind my asking?"

"No, not at all. And while I cannot tell you much about it, I can tell you this: Ever since the fall of BEGA a few weeks ago, the BBA and I have felt wary about letting our bladers roam the streets once more. True, we witnessed BEGA's collapse, but none of us feel certain that they are gone forever. And since the BBA is still in the process of rebuilding itself, we cannot look after them ourselves, so we felt it best if we enrolled them all in a private school where they could be looked after."

"So this… Boris, fellow, he is the one that poses the biggest threat to the bladers as of right now?"

Mr. Dickinson nodded. "That is correct. And while he is still out on the loose, we cannot take any chances with our bladers."

"I understand," the headmaster said. "We will see to it that these bladers are constantly under our protection until further notice."

"…Thank you."

(somewhere far far away. Let's pick Russia)

It was cold in their small house, but the he didn't seem to mind it at all. By this point in his life, he was oblivious to the Russian cold, and besides, he was too busy staring at the computer monitor in front of him.

"So that's it, huh?" he asked. He was not expecting to be contacted any time soon, and was reluctant to leave his home.

"Don't give me that," Chloe groaned, her face blurry on his computer screen. "Look, I'm not ordering you, I'm asking you. And we'd really appreciate it if you could come over."

The red-head chuckled. "So this isn't your way of telling me that you miss me and you want me back with you?" Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You wish," she snapped. "Just, get your ass over here if you can. If not, we'll just meet up again later at the proposed date, alright?"

He sighed. There was no use in arguing with her once she was angry. "Yeah, I'll ask the others if they can get ready to leave in a couple days. You promise to fill me in on what's going on, right?" She nodded, the connection getting really bad. "Alright, I'll see you then. Bye Chloe."

"Bye Tala."

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review?

Please?


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